To say that there are horror stories from actors about working with filmmaker David Fincher is not necessarily accurate. Though we’ve heard that Fincher is a bit of a perfectionist that might rub certain people the wrong way with his detailed nature and desire for dozens of takes of each scene, there are also actors that find him to be one of the best collaborators around. That appears to be the case with actress Lily Collins, who worked with Fincher on the new film, “Mank.”
READ MORE: ‘Mank’: Amanda Seyfried Calls David Fincher A “One-Of-A-Kind Master Of His Domain”
Speaking to L’Officiel, Colins talked about the collaborative process of working with David Fincher during the making of “Mank.” Of course, we’ve already heard tales of how the filmmaker wore out Gary Oldman and forced Amanda Seyfried to do nearly 200 takes at one point. But Collins understands his methods and thinks the result speaks for itself.
“David Fincher is a genius,” said Collins. “He knows exactly what he wants and how to get it, but he’s also open to collaboration. He respects you, while you—and the whole crew—have immense admiration for him.”
She added, “I never thought I’d get to work with David Fincher. The idea that he believed in me to take on this character and to be a part of something of this caliber—another dream-like project— was a real gift.”
READ MORE: David Fincher Admits His Directing Style Was “Exhausting” For Gary Oldman During ‘Mank’
“Mank” tells the story of the behind-the-scenes drama between the filmmakers working on “Citizen Kane.” In “Mank,” Collins plays Rita Alexander, the secretary of screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz, played by Gary Oldman. Rita Alexander also serves as the namesake for the character of Susan Alexander Kane in Orson Welles‘ classic film. The film is written by Jack Fincher and directed by David Fincher. It arrives on Netflix on December 4.